And that's a wrap!

The Brighton Fringe, England's largest mixed-arts festival, is over for another year. Here at FringeGuru, our reviewers covered almost 100 shows from the 2012 programme, unearthing plenty of gems in their personal journeys through the Fringe. On this page, you'll find our most recent write-ups, in publication order.

Upstairs at Three and Ten(venue website)Theatre
5-6, 26-27 May, 3:00pm-4:00pmReviewed by Mathilda Gregory

Parental Guidance. Under-17's must be accompanied by an adult.Warning: Contains strong language.World Premiere.2-for-1 tickets for Friends of the Fringe members.

In Ragnarok: Weird of the Gods, John Hinton, surely one of Brighton’s hardest-working performers, sets out to tell the story of the end of the world. According to Norse myth. As a musical. Playing all the parts himself. And he pulls off this daring feat brilliantly.

Brighton’s Lanes: an historic centre, an inscrutable labyrinth, and of course, a modern-day tourist trap. It is, in short, the perfect place for a ghost tour. And on this entertaining trail – which packs a lot of storytelling into a comparatively short walk – we learned all about the city’s resident spooks, as we weaved our way back and forth through the squares and alleyways of the old town.

Suitable for age 15+ only.Warning: Contains flashing lights.Warning: Contains strong language and nudity.2-for-1 tickets for Friends of the Fringe members.

With its sinister arachnid motif, its cast of desperate drop-outs, and its frightening vision of just how infectious a mad idea can be, Bug ought to be a tense psychological thriller – one which speaks with eloquence for those on the margins of society, and warns of the horrors which could befall those we choose to leave behind. Ought to be.

Moss Rich: an unusual man, who at the age of 102, completely blind and partially deaf, was assumed to be ‘the oldest poet writing in England.’ Incredibly astute to the end, in 2005 he launched his poetry collection Requiem for a Typewriter, reciting the collection at its launch entirely from memory. In the last decade of his life he went on to publish three more anthologies of poetry. It’s a fantastic achievement, which A Lifetime of Love encourages us wholly to believe would not have been possible without the wonderfully unending love of his wife Milly.

Suitable for age 18+ only.Warning: Contains strong language.World Premiere.2-for-1 tickets for Friends of the Fringe members.

An odd thing about the little theatre above the Marlborough is that there’s only one way in. The acts have to use the same entrance as the audience do, which can sometimes feel a bit awkward. Rose Collis had perhaps given this some thought – as her flourish through the door’s curtain, crying “knickers and trousers”, certainly threw us into the world of her show with a jolly confidence.

This show is part of the Brighton £5ringe, a parallel featival separate from the official Fringe. Tickets cannot be booked through the Fringe box office. Instead, see the £5ringe website for information and reservations.

If you’re over the age of about 35, Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks will need no introduction. If you’re not, prepare to be amazed by this award-winning memoir of the glory days of British wrestling – when two ageing, overweight gladiators pretended to fight every Saturday, in front of an adoring public, live on ITV.

Here’s a real treat for both theatre and cinema aficionados alike. After winning one of our Editors’ Choice awards last year, Joe Bone’s one-man film-noir parody Bane is back for a reprise… and a rare opportunity to catch all three filmic episodes in a single weekend. If you've never seen Bone’s cult performance, it’s surely time to find out what you've been missing; and if you missed out a part of the trilogy, well, now’s the moment to put that omission right.

There’s more to Fever Pitch than football! I’ll nail my colours to the mast right now: I’m not an Arsenal fan. I’m not even a football fan. But I do know a brilliant piece of theatre when I see it. James Kermack’s solo performance is utterly magnificent - for 90 minutes (45 each way!), he held the entire audience as though in the palm of his hand.

Upstairs at Three and Ten(venue website)Theatre
5-6, 26-27 May, 3:00pm-4:00pm

Parental Guidance. Under-17's must be accompanied by an adult.Warning: Contains strong language.World Premiere.2-for-1 tickets for Friends of the Fringe members.

In previous Brighton festivals, local performer John Hinton has delighted our reviewers under various guises. In The Origin of Species, Richard Stamp was enchanted by his gleeful take on Charles Darwin, while Mathilda Gregory found herself hypnotized by Jonny Acecraft of Spalien Acecraft. So we’re rather intrigued to experience his latest regeneration, as Norse god Loki, in his new work Ragnarok: Weird of the Gods.

Magic’s moved on since we all watched Paul Daniels on TV, and the modern Fringe circuit offers more than its share of show-boating illusionists. But in the escalating race for more blinding flashes, more thumping music and more death-defying stunts, it’s easy to sense that something’s been lost... to feel nostalgic for the gentler pleasures of yesteryear.